Sunday, October 6, 2013

I haven't been craving meat lately. I mean, I still eat it, but mostly it doesn't sound good. Instead, I've been rocking whole grains, fruit, peanut butter, edamame, beans and lots and lots of vegetables.

This is no big deal. The way we eat at our house has changed significantly over the past several years: I was diagnosed gluten and dairy intolerant in March of 2008, and though small amounts of cheese have come back into my diet, gluten makes me incredibly ill. On top of that, Ben has discovered that dairy makes him sick, so the only true dairy we have in the house is a little bit of parmesan that I just can't quite give up.

Meat has moved from center stage to the role of garnish for vegetables, and we joke about being vegans who eat a little meat. We've never named how we eat ("flexitarian," anyone?), it's just what we do. No preaching from pulpits, no ideology to spread far and wide, just lots and lots of well-seasoned vegetables.

Turns out nameless eating is in vogue. Have you seen Mark Bittman's VB6 program? I heard about it ages ago, and I'm finally getting around to blogging about it. His basic premise is that he eats vegan before 6 pm and then enjoys meat and dairy in moderation.

My initial reaction to the premise? Love the vegetables, hate the restrictions! My concern is that if you restrict your intake earlier in the day, you won't eat enough calories; you'll be starving by dinner and overeat before going to bed. It takes a strong soul to eat moderately after a day of not being allowed to consume major food groups.

That being said, I like "The Six Principles of VB6." They are:

1. Eat fruit and vegetables in abundance
2. Eat fewer animal products
3. Eat (almost) no junk food
4. Cook at home as much as possible
5. Consider quality over quantity
6. See your weight as just one component of good health

Yes. Do all of these things!

As for us, the other night I really didn't want meat, but Ben isn't the biggest fan of tofu. My solution? Tofu and beef stir-fry with lots of veggies. Since I'm not actually vegetarian, I don't mind beef-flavored tofu. A little tamari, brown rice vinegar, mirin, and hot sesame oil with lots of garlic... and voila. Dinner!

What are your favorite fall veggie dishes? And what do you think of VB6?